Although the disparity between sociolinguistic knowledge and popular beliefs about language diversity is well documented, little proactive attention has been given to changing public misconceptions. How can programs about linguistic diversity be presented when the prevailing public language ideology is largely fueled by the principle of linguistic subordination? This presentation offers a theoretical and methodological approach to public education on language diversity. The approach to dialect awareness presented here is based on the underlying assumption that the public is inherently curious about language differences and that this intrigue can be transformed into public education venues that range from public television documentaries to formal educational curricula. It connects the legacy of language variation to legitimate historical and cultural themes that are intrinsically interesting to the public, and assumes that the most effective and permanent education takes place when learners discover truths for themselves. It further presumes that positively framed presentations of language differences in socioculural and sociohistoical context hold a greater likelihood of being received by the public than the direct confrontation of seemingly unassailable ideologies. A range of public education venues are exemplified, from documentaries and museum exhibits for the general public to formal dialect awareness curricular materials developed specifically for middle-school students. Illustrative vignettes from documentaries, museum and fair exhibits, social media, and popular trade books and articles show how these media can portray issues that extend from language identity and solidarity to issues of language death and revitalization. On one level, an ideological conflict may seem unavoidable, but the presentation demonstrates that the public rhetoric on linguistic diversity can, in fact, be reconciled with a linguistically informed perspective.